Happy holly-days

In the Charles Dickens holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol,” the curmudgeonly Ebenezer Scrooge declares bitterly, “If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled in his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.”

It is probably fair to say that few would support such a miserable fate for a sprig of holly and the unfortunate human so adorned. For most of us, the holly tree is a stunning natural expression of the colors typically encountered during the Christmas holiday. Not the least of its charms lies in its popularity as a seasonal decoration, as we “Deck the halls with boughs of holly.”

European lore associated with holly labels this evergreen tree with its spiny leaves, white flowers and bright red berries as a potent natural force in warding off evil. And although its fruits are considered poisonous to humans, its medicinal history includes treatment of colic, indigestion, measles, cold, flu, pneumonia, malaria and epilepsy.

The holly tree can grow from between 40 to 70 feet tall, and thrives in moist soils, such as flood plains. Its whitish wood is used in carpentry projects where a fine grain is desired and its berries provide nourishment to many birds and mammals.

As the classic carol, “The Holly and the Ivy,” reminds us, “Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.”